He probably had epic kisses all the time. Like he was so sick of being kissed until the point of orgasm that he was like, Yuck, stop kissing me all you beautiful women!
Me on the other hand? The last time I had been kissed so thoroughly that my eyes crossed and my toes tingled was… well… Okay, fine, I couldn’t remember ever being kissed like that. And now I had to live with the very real possibility that I might never be kissed like that again. Ever. Which was a giant, ugly, bitter tasting pill to swallow.
Just when I’d decided I couldn’t stand being this psychotic over one minor makeout, his expression flattened abruptly and he asked, “When you said bike gears, was that in reference to Vera’s brother?”
“Mmmhmmm. Vann.”
He rocked back on his heels, but his hand didn’t leave my hip. “Should I have made sure you were single before I kissed you?”
“Do you mean Vann?” I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. “No, no, no. No. I’m sorry, but no. We’re just friends. He’s like my big brother. I’ve known him all my life.”
He didn’t seem convinced. “There’s nothing between you?”
“Would you date Dillon?”
His face scrunched up reflexively. “No. Never. But she really is my sister. Half. By blood.”
“Maybe Vann and I don’t share DNA, but he’s my brother in every sense of the word. He’s overprotective and annoying and wonderful all at once. There will never, ever, ever be anything between us. Ever.”
He thought over my answer and then upped the ante. “What about Wyatt? Is there something going on between you two?”
My pulse pounded at my wrists, nervous and uneasy. “Maybe you should just ask what you want to ask.”
“Are you seeing anyone, Molly? Interested in anyone?”
My heart kicked and my thoughts jumbled together all at once. He wanted to know if I was interested in anyone? I suddenly felt like we were back in fifth grade and I was being forced to face my crush during a tragic game of spin the bottle.
“You,” I said tentatively, with my heart in my throat and my contingency plan to move to Mexico in place in my head in case he shot me down. Head’s up, step one of the plan is me crashing through one of Bianca’s windows and stealing Ezra’s Alfa a car. “Ezra there’s no one else.”
His entire body relaxed, melting into me as he swooped down to capture my mouth in an immediate kiss. I sucked in a sharp breath of surprise, giving him all the incentive he needed to tangle my tongue fully with his. His lips pressed against mine, not gently, not tenderly, but with hunger, purpose and wicked heat.
We picked up right where we’d left off. Our mouths moved together with familiarity, learning each other’s curves and tastes and needs. I clutched his polo with two fists, desperate to have more of this man that had driven me crazy for months and was currently driving me crazy in an entirely better new way.
But all good things must stupidly come to an end. Our kiss was sensual and sexy, and way too short. When a chef walked out of the kitchen, spotted us and then walked right back into the kitchen, Ezra pulled back, ending the bliss we’d only just begun to explore. Although, he didn’t go too far.
“Sorry,” he murmured with an annoyed glance over his shoulder. When he turned back to me, he said, “I’ve been wanting to do that all week.”
That made me grin like an idiot. I rested my cheek on his chest to hide my red cheeks and silly smile, listening to his sprinting heart and feeling satisfaction at how quickly it beat. Because I was the reason it pounded so frantically. “So there’s no one else for you either? Girlfriends? Friends with benefits? Escorts you need to settle your bill with?”
His chuckle vibrated through his entire body, rumbling against my cheek. I closed my eyes and savored the sensation.
“There’s no one else, Molly. Not even a casual hookup. I’ve been single for over a year. Maybe longer. You’ve had a string of bad dates, but I’ve had a very long string of very bad relationships. I haven’t been interested in getting involved with a woman since… after Sarita opened.”
I needed to see the truth in his eyes, so I tipped my head back and let my gaze meet his. “Really?”
“What can I say? It took a feisty graphic designer biting my head off in my own, very successful restaurant to catch my eye.”
“You’re lying,” I accused him because I was terrified that he wasn’t. “You have not been interested in me for that long.”
“Intrigued,” he amended. “Absolutely. From the second I met you, I was intrigued. Although I kept my distance out of respect for Killian and Vera. I wasn’t interested in anything serious and I didn’t know you well enough to feel you out. I couldn’t hurt you and then expect everything to stay chill with Killian. I’ve been attracted to you since the second I met you, but it wasn’t till later that I was willing to risk pissing him off to chase you.”
Chase me. Had he been chasing me? I closed my eyes briefly and imagined his car rides and emails and hiring me for every possible thing in his life. Oh, my god, Ezra Baptiste had been chasing me! And I had been completely dense totally oblivious! Could I get a life do-over to go back and savor that time??? “When did that change?”
He lifted one shoulder and stepped closer. “I don’t know. I can’t pinpoint one exact moment, only that my interest marinated slowly until I saw you in the kitchen with Wyatt before the engagement party. I hated myself for letting other people’s potential opinions get in the way. I hated Wyatt for making you smile and laugh, and for inviting you into my space. I hated you for not seeming to notice me or be able to tolerate me. From that moment, it was my mission to get your attention, to get you to notice me.” He smiled that gentle, unassuming smile again, the one that made me all melty inside. “Although I’m not sure how well it worked. I used Meg to try to impress you, but you had the party handled without her. I tried to wow you with my wine cellar. You weren’t interested. I showed you my car. Again, you didn’t care. I’ve about exhausted my resources, Maverick. And I think you’ve given me a complex.”
Well, I just died. I was dead. This had to be death. Because Ezra could not have said what he just did. “I was already impressed by you! That’s why I didn’t react to anything else. Did you not notice I was a basket case around you? And I assumed you were just showing off to be a douche!”
The high planes of his cheeks heated and his smile was both embarrassed and adorable. “That does not bode well for my reputation.”
I laughed, and maybe it was a little hysterical, but he was talking crazy and my rational mind could not wrap around the words that he was speaking. “It worked,” I promised him. “Whatever you did, worked.”
Something clattered in the kitchen, jolting us with the violence of it. He groaned and dropped his forehead to mine. “That sounded expensive. I should probably go check on it.”
Holding back a smile, I told him, “Go. But don’t terrorize them too much.”